British online luxury shoppers resilient in face of credit crunch

The results of a LinkShare/JupiterResearch report into the UK's online retail market found that Online Luxury Shoppers, which make up 12% of online British consumers, are relying more on the Internet during the current economic climate than before.

While a third of British Online Luxury Shoppers aren't too concerned about the credit crunch, they are more likely than the average online consumer to shop online - 31% expect to shop more online than in a bricks-and-mortar store compared with just 15% of average users.

The designer label seekers aren't about to throw their money around, said Liane Dietrich, UK Managing Director at LinkShare. "Even if they aren't worried about the credit crunch, they are keen to make sure they're not throwing money away unnecessarily and will spend more time on research into the products they want to buy. For retailers this is a very promising sign and there are several opportunities to interact with and affect the shopping habits of the Online Luxury Shopper."

According to the report:-

- 39% of Online Luxury Shoppers intend to use the internet more as a research tool in order to find the best deals, and they are influenced by a range of different sources.

- 95% of Online Luxury Shoppers will visit more than one site when choosing products, in order to see a range of prices and information.

- 66% use shop websites to research products and prices.

- 64% use auction sites to research products and prices.

- 59% use search engines to research products and prices.

- 55% value consumer review sites as a source of research.

"Marketers must learn to reach out to them through the wide variety of sources that influence them, broadening their online marketing portfolio and creating a richer shopping experience," said Dietrich.

Tags: auction, British, luxury, online advertising, online shoppers, research, review, search